1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein is an improved explosion suppression device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many environments having dangerous gases, the suppression of explosions should be accomplished by devices that are fail proof in operation and do not add to the explosive effect itself. This is particularly true for coal mines and large sanitary sewers where flammable gases can accumulate. One method previously used to suppress an explosion in a coal mine utilized the velocity of the air in front of the explosion to operate a door and release a liquid suppressant from an overhead container. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,000,236 to R. D. Cochrane describes such a system. Our invention is similar in that it uses a contained liquid, like water, to suppress the explosion. Unlike Cochrane, however, its operation depends not on the forward winds from the explosion to activate the release of the suppressant but on static pressure forces caused by the explosion. This is not to say static pressure forces have never been used to actuate the release of an explosive liquid suppressant. They have, as evidenced by the pressure actuated explosive release in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,386 J. R. Klompar. The distinction between our invention and the prior art lies not in its actuation medium, per se, but in a combination of facts. Our invention is both rapid in its operation and at the same time adds nothing to the effect of the explosion, as well as being extremely simple and reliable in its operation, and simple in its construction.